


Elephants and Flu Viruses

by taliarty



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Cute, Fainting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Poor Hank, Pre-Beast Hank, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 23:22:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10729410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taliarty/pseuds/taliarty
Summary: Hank gets the flu and Alex looks after him.





	Elephants and Flu Viruses

**Author's Note:**

> First ever fic! There wasn't enough Hank/Alex in my life so I decided to write my own.
> 
> In my fanfic career I will be beating up Hank a lot. Sorry baby :)

07:30

It started off as a normal day. Hank woke up with Alex doing his best octopus impression, tanned limbs trapping him in the bed.  
"Alex, you need to wake up I need coffee." Hank mumbled, not fully awake without said coffee and definitely too groggy to try to do much more than weakly slap Alex's arms. He felt more lethargic than normal but he put it down to his lack of caffeine.

Alex groaned tightening his grip on Hank's waist.  
"S'too early bozo go back t'sleep."  
"As tempting as that may be I promised Charles I'd fix your chest plate today, how did you bend it anyway?"  
"Rugby tackled Sean because he was being an asshole."  
Hank sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, this was the third time this week. Mustering the energy to extricate himself from Alex's cuddle trap Hank sat up to get his glasses. Black spots danced in his vision and he swayed slightly.  
"You alright? You look a little pale." Alex sat up reaching for Hank who was steadying himself on the bed side table.  
"Yeah i'm fine, I just- I just sat up too quickly." Alex didn't look convinced but let it slide, a disbelieving frown wrinkling his brow. 

11:15

Hank was really regretting telling alex he was fine. During breakfast a headache had started developing behind his eyes. He'd dismissed it assuming that staying up until 3 am working on equations was a stupid idea. One that he repeated reguarly unless Alex dragged him to bed. He may have been a genius but that didn't mean he had a sense of self preservation. 

After his little dizzy spell Alex had watched him like a hawk all morning, grey blue eyes burrowing into hank's skull. So naturally when the headache started Alex knew something wasn't right. Knowing Alex would not let him finish fixing his chest plate if he found out about Hank's slight discomfort, he convinced Alex to go and train with the others. It was Erik's training session today which meant hand to hand combat. Hank being averse to this and feeling slightly delicate that morning, thanked anyone who was listening that Charles had told Erik he couldn't participate because he was fixing the chest plate. However Hank also caught Charle's look that said he knew Hank was lying to Alex when he said he was fine. Mother hen mode turned up to ten. 

Now, Hank was in his lab feeling like an elephant was stampeding around in his head. Were the lights always that bright? Trying to ignore it he looked down at the bent plate, he'd have to take off the- the thing and then do something else. Groaning in frustration he put his head in his hands and started to cough. Along with the elephant, his lungs decided they didn't want to stay in his body anymore and tried to escape through his mouth. Breathing shakily he tried to get the coughing fit under control. Was it always this hot? Maybe the air conditioner is broken? Deciding to come back to the plate in a minute he stood up to get some water. The black spots came back and swam in his vision again but this time they didn't go away. They grew larger until all Hank could see was the room tilting, was the floor always that close?

11:20

Smirking and wiping the sweat from his brow Alex looked down at Sean.  
"You deserved that."  
"How did I deserve that?!"  
"You bent my chest plate."  
"I bent it?! You tackled me ! That was *you* and definitely is no reason to body slam me now!" Alex wasn't listening to the red head sprawled on the floor, mentioning the chest plate had made him remember Hank. He really hadn't looked good that morning. 

Alex knew they started off on the wrong foot but since Cuba ,and Erik almost killing them all, he had reevaluated what he felt about Hank. Being stuck in solitary confinement for ages had whittled away his people skills greatly, so when the blue eyed, nerdy, adorable Hank Mccoy had walked in Alex had fucked up big time. Insulting him instead of hitting on him, yeah well done Alex. 

Luckily for him he managed to make friends with Hank before Cuba, walking in on him about to inject, an untested serum, into himself. Alex yelled at him a lot for that.  
After Cuba, Alex got his shit together and almost broke one of the dorks teeth kissing him so hard. 

So usually thinking of Hank made him have a warm feeling in his chest, that wasn't because of laser beams. But now he felt building dread.  
He jogged over to charles, who was currently flirting with Erik (not together his arse).  
"Hey Charles, can you check on Hank for me?" Alex asked completely ignoring Eriks death stare because he interrupted their conversation.  
"Yes of course Alex, but why?"  
"He didn't look well this morning so I thought I'd see how he was doing." Alex raised an eyebrow at Charles' expression, the older man looked like he was awfully close to squeeing at a cute animal. Clearing his throat Charles thankfully quashed the noise before it escaped and put two fingers to his temple. His smile quickly dropped and his expression grew alarmed.  
"Alex we need to get to Hank's lab. Now!"  
"WHAT WHY?!" Already running, the dread Alex had felt solidified into a ball of lead in his stomach.  
"Hank is unconscious!" Alex barely heard what the professor had said but he knew that he got to Hank's lab in less than 2 minutes, leaving the other man behind. He burst through the door letting out a cry of alarm when he saw Hank's prone form crumpled by his lab table. 

11:37

Hank woke up to someone frantically shaking him and being far too loud.  
"St-p, m'ead 'urts" he slurred, not hearing the relieved ,"thank God you're awake, I knew you were sick you idiot!"  
He cracked his eyes open to see where he was but closed them again immediately after. The light felt like daggers driving into his eyeballs and he whimpered curling into the warm mass next to him. Feeling the warmth seep into him, he realised he was freezing. Shaking like a leaf he curled into a tighter ball to try and warm up.

11:39

Alex clutched Hank to his chest, his heart thundering somewhere in his throat. Seeing Hank on the floor like that had make his insides turn to ice, rational thought flying out the window. Hearing footsteps, he turned and saw charles and the others running into the lab.

"Oh my good Lord." Charles sank to his knees next to where Alex still had a death grip on a semi conscious Hank, "we need to get him up to your room and into bed. Alex -Alex listen to me." Alex eventually registered the fingers snapping in front of his eyes and dragged them away from his boyfriends pales sweaty face.  
He saw Charles ordering Raven and Sean to get a thermometer, water ,and some medicine from the kitchen, and for Erik to run a bath. Run a bath? He then realised that he needed to move. Hank was far to hot and barely coherent and he needed to get better.  
"Alex we need to get him upstairs." Alex curled his arms under Hank's shoulders and knees lifting him up from the lab floor. It was a bit difficult because Hank was so much taller than him but because of Alex's determination to help his boyfriend, he hardly felt the strain.

Following Charles up the stairs he was probably the most careful he had ever been with anything. Holding Hank like he was spun glass and taking quick but careful steps. Hank had latched onto the front of his tracksuit hoody and was mumbling something about elephants. That can't be good.

After maneuvering through their bedroom doorway Alex lay Hank on the bed, remembering that just this morning they were both cuddled up here together. He should have bloody made sure he was okay! He sat next to Hank on the bed stroking his sweaty hair back from his forehead. He removed his glasses and folded them neatly on the bed side table. Just like hank always does. When he turned back his eyes were cracked open.  
"Bozo!" Alex put his hands on either side of Hanks face, not missing the alarming heat coming off of his boyfriend and how glassy his eyes were.  
"'Lex, feel sick"  
"I know babe, I know, we're going to make you better though yeah." Resuming stroking Hank's hair Alex continued to shush the distressed scientist until Raven and Sean returned with the thermometer and medicine. 

Charles came out of the ensuite where he was with Erik and took the thermometer from Raven. "Okay hank, I need you to hold this in your mouth for me we need to see how high your fever is." Charles said trying to get Hank to put the thermometer in his mouth and failing miserably.  
"Alex can you make sure he doesn't spit this out please."  
"Hank, sweetheart open up." Alex tapped the side of Hank's jaw, who turned to him with a confused expression.  
"Why?"  
"Because it'll help us make you better, you want that right, to not feel sick anymore?" Alex smiled warmly as Hank nodded slightly and let Alex put the thermometer in his mouth.  
"Good, there's a good bozo." Hank closed his eyes again and leant into Alex's hands stroking his face.  
They waited like that until the thermometer worked. Charles shooed Sean and Raven from the room saying Hank didn't need to be crowded but promising to keep them updated on how he was doing when they protested. Erik also left with them, Alex didn't think he'd be much help in this situation anyway.  
"Now let's see how hot you are hm?" Usually Alex would've taken the opportunity to say a snarky comment about that but when he saw Charles' worried expression as he looked at the temperature reading, his mouth dried out and he didn't think he could speak if he tried. 

"How bad is it?"  
"40 degrees, it's very bad, we need to cool him down." Charles said and started to remove Hank's shoes, this jump started Alex's brain from where it had shut down in a panic.  
"What are you doing!?"  
"We need to cool him down it's why I got Erik to run the bath in case this happened, we need to get him out of his clothes and into the bath." Under charles stern look Alex swallowed and gently lifted Hanks torso to get him out of his lab coat and shirt.  
"No what ar'you d'ing" Hank wiggled weakly as Alex undid his shirt.  
"Shh I'm sorry bozo I'm sorry but we need to do this." Alex said kissing his forehead. He hated seeing Hank distressed like this. He always knew what was going on, that was Hank. But now seeing him confused and in pain, Alex's protectiveness of Hank grew tenfold. They stripped him down to just his boxers and then Alex carried him into the bathroom.  
"Lower hin in quite quickly, he'll probably struggle so hold onto his shoulders. I have his legs." Alex did as charles asked but winced when hank let out a scared yelp and tried to bolt out of the cool water.  
"S-stop s'too cold!"  
"No babe you have to stay in here, you're too hot we have to cool you down. We have to. I'm sorry , I'm sorry!" Alex held Hank in the water as Charles grabbed his ankles and held his legs down as well, mumbling reasurrances. Alex could see Hanks feet clenching and unclenching as he tried to fight against them , his hands also clawing at Alex's chest to push him away. Alex kept shushing him pressing kisses into his hair and stroking his back, Hanks movements getting weaker as the adrenaline wore off and fatigue set in. Head flopping onto Alex's shoulder, he started to cry and cough, whole body wracked with shivers. Alex's own eyes teared up and he looked to Charles.  
"I know it's horrible Alex but we have to help him." Charles didn't look like he was taking this any better than Alex was. He had taken on an almost mother like role in the mansion and whenever one of them was sick or hurt he would not stop smothering them until they were better. However, none of them had gotten this sick before. Yes there was that cold that had knocked them all out for a day, even Erik (it was hilarious to hear him speak with a blocked nose) and the time where Sean had tried cooking and Raven threw up, but other than those nothing. Why did it have to be Hank?  
He looked down at his boyfriends pale tear stained face, the spots of red on his cheeks a mockery of his usual rosy blush. He cursed whoever had infected his bozo, then peppered his face with kisses. He knew he wasn't going to get sick and needed Hank to know he had him and he was trying to make him well again. Charles stood up, Hank having calmed enough that he could let go of his legs.  
"I'm going to get the thermometer to see if his temperature's gone down at all, if it has, take him out of the bath and dry him off, I'll get the medication and the bed ready."  
Charles came back with the thermometer and got Hank to put it in his mouth again.  
"39 degrees, still not great but going down. Hank we're going to get you out of the bath now, after you have to take some medicine." Charles said, noting Hanks shivering had gotten worse.  
"Come on bozo." Alex picked Hank out of the bath, not caring that his clothes got even wetter and set him down on the toilet lid, holding him up as he swayed. Charles handed him a large fluffy towel then left the room again.  
"You still with me babe?"  
Hank made a small noise of assent and blearily looked at Alex who put the towel around his shoulders and started to dry him off.  
"Okay Hank you have to stand for a bit so I can get to the backs of your legs, put your arms around my shoulders." He placed Hanks arms on his shoulders.  
"You holding on?" A small squeeze was all he got for confirmation. Deciding to risk it, he carefully raised Hank into an upright position grabbing his waist when he buckled.  
"Easy sweetheart, easy."  
He quickly removed Hanks soaked pants and wrapped the towel around his waist before lifting him into his arms again and carrying him back into the bedroom. He sat down on the bed still holding Hank and looked to Charles again. Charles was by the bed holding a clean shirt and pyjama bottoms.  
"Get him changed into these, then give him two of these," he held up a Nyquil packet, " and then get him to drink this whole glass of water. He needs to keep his fluids up. I'll be back soon to see how he's doing." After seeing Alex's worried expression he added, "everything will be fine, we'll make sure of it." With that he left closing the door on his way out.  
"Well it looks like it's just you and me now bozo, let's get you dressed. If you knew that Charles had seen you in only a towel you'd throw a fit." Hank looked at him, with what would have been an adorably quizzicle expression, but now was just a testament to how little Hank was registering his surroundings. Sighing Alex placed Hank on the edge of the bed hands hovering for a minute to make sure he didn't topple over then stood up to get his clothes. He gingerly pulled the t-shirt over Hanks head, then helped him get his unresponsive arms into the sleeves. It took a little longer than it would have to get Hank dressed because Alex kept pausing to place butterfly kisses to his skin and to make sure he was still alright. 

12:42

Hank just sat there staring at a point somewhere between his eye height and the floor, big blue eyes unfocused and distant. A soft hey from Alex and strong hands cupping his face made him focus a little, but it was difficult, the elephant was still there and it had made a nest with cotton wool in his head. It made everything fuzzy and soft. At least it wasn't as hot anymore, or was it cold? He didn't know. Distracted he started to cough again, grating his throat and making it hard to breathe. Hunching forward he struggled to get enough air into his lungs and was immensly grateful to the sudden hand on the back of his neck and glass of water pressed to his lips. Taking small sips between coughs, they eventually calmed enough for him to draw in a great gulp of air and then after a great gulp of water. 

12:44

"That's it babe, keep breathing." Alex supported Hanks head while he drank and breathed to calm himself down. Having Hank break down like that after looking fine, well as fine as you could look while ill, and then rapidly deteriorating was something he never wanted to go through again. Especially if he doesn't want to die of a heart attack before he turns 30. He stopped Hank from drinking the last bit of water and was met with a whimper of protest.  
"You need to take some medicine bozo, and you need the water with it, you can finish the water with the medicine yeah?" Knowing he wasn't going to get a proper answer he got two tablets out of the packet.  
"Open up babe, you need to swallow these." When Hank parted his lips slightly Alex popped the pills into his mouth and helped him swallow them with the last of the water.  
"They gone?" With a small nod of assent he put the empty glass on the bedside table and helped Hank get under the covers.  
"Now bozo, you need to get some sleep, I'll be right here." He smoothed the covers over Hank and watched as his eyes drooped closed, asleep almost instantly. 

3 days later

When Hanks fever eventually broke it was met with a sigh of relief from just about everyone in the mansion, one wrinkled smoothed from Eriks forehead which was an achievment in itself.  
Alex sat next to Hank on the bed, dark circles under his eyes and a 5 o'clock shadow gracing his jaw. It was a harrowing few days. Not really because Hanks illness was difficult to treat, it was just the flu, but because Alex had basically stayed awake the entire time making sure he was okay. So when Hank woke up with a clear head and a normal temperature Alex had collapsed next to him squeezing him to his chest, reassuring himself more than Hank. Looking at your boyfriends pale, unmoving form, practically comatose on a bed for a few days would do that to a guy. Even a self proclaimed tough guy like Alex. 

Now though, everything was back to normal. Hank was back to tinkering in his lab and correcting people, and Alex was back to teasing Hank to see that sexy blush grace his cheeks and decking Sean when he got the chance. Raven and Sean had also been very glad to see Hank get better. Raven giving him a whole box of muffins (Hanks sweet tooth could rival the cookie monster) and Sean trying to give him some 'special flowers' which Charles had confiscated because it turned out to be a big bag of weed. 

Alex lay down and curled his arms around Hanks shoulders tucking the brunettes head under his chin.  
"I'm okay now Alex, really." Alex looked down to see Hank looking back up at him with a dopey smile, no longer looking as pale as a ghost and blue eyes shining as they should be.  
Unable to resist Alex ducked his head and claimed Hanks mouth in a firm kiss.  
"I know you are bozo, just never," kiss, "do," kiss, "that," kiss, "again." Hank giggled and nudged his forehead against Alex's.  
"Alex?"  
"Yeah babe?"  
"I've been meaning to ask, how come you didn't get sick? You were with me the whole time."  
"I run too hot, my normal temperature is several degrees above your fever temperature, I don't think any germ would be able to survive."  
"That's very interesting, I'd like to run some tests if you wouldn't mind." Alex grinned slightly lecherously,  
"Oh yeah and what will these 'tests' entail?" Eyebrows waggling provocatively. Hank laughed again and lightly whacked Alex in the chest.  
"Idiot."  
"You love me really."  
"Yeah, I really do." Hank rested his head back on Alex's chest and savoured the warmth of his arms.


End file.
